1.2. Diversity

This section provides an overview of Bradford’s diverse population and demographics, drawing on the 2021 Census6 - other sources are used where noted.

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Diversity

Bradford is one of the most diverse places in the UK. It is a city district with a mix of different ethnicities, cultures and nationalities. It has a significant Muslim population and is home to a number of mosques, temples and other religious institutions. Additionally, Bradford has a diverse age structure, with a mix of young and older residents, and a relatively high proportion of people aged under 25.

Key bullet points

Overall, Bradford is a highly diverse district, reflecting the unique ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds of its residents. It has a balanced gender ratio, a diverse age structure, a slightly higher than average proportion of residents who identify as disabled, and a young population.

Since 2011, the population has increased by 4.5%. The estimated population is expected to grow to approximately 552,300 by 2041 with an average annual growth of 800 people. However, the demographics of the district are expected to change, with the population of people aged 65 and over driving the population change. Over the next 25 years, the population of people aged 65 and over is expected to increase by nearly 40,000 people to 116,800 by 2041.⁷
Ethnicity: The largest proportion of the district’s population currently identifies as White (67.4%). 26.8% identify as Asian/Asian British.
Religion: The largest religious group in Bradford is Christian (33.4%) followed by Muslim (30.5%). 28.2% of the district’s population stated that they have no religion.
Disability: 19% of residents identify as disabled according to the 2021 Census, slightly higher than the average for both Yorkshire and The Humber
and England.
Gender: The gender balance in Bradford is roughly equal, with 50.5% of the population identifying as female and 49.5% identifying as male according to the 2011 Census.
Age structure: The age structure in Bradford is diverse. According to the 2021 Census, 22.4% of the population was aged under 16, while 15.2% was aged 65 and over.

Headline data

Bradford is one of the most diverse places in the UK. It is a city district with a mix of different ethnicities, cultures and nationalities.

It has a significant Muslim population and is home to a number of mosques, temples and other religious institutions. Additionally, Bradford has a diverse age structure, with a mix of young and older residents, and a relatively high proportion of people aged under 25.

Next: Ethnicity

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Bradford Data Review » The people of Bradford

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Bradford Data Review

1.1 Overview

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1.3. Skills, education and employment

This section provides data on skill levels and educational outcomes in Bradford. This draws on data from the 2021 Census, and other sources highlighted, such as comparators with Yorkshire and The Humber.

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1.4 Health

This section provides an overview of health data, addressing issues such as life expectancy, health outcomes, illness and wellbeing. Data in this section comes from the 2021 Census.

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1.5. Socio-economic deprivation

This section provides an overview of socio-economic data in Bradford, addressing issues such as poverty, unemployment and deprivation. Data in this section comes from the 2021 Census.

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1.6. Gaps in the data

While there is much research on the demographics and diversity of Bradford district, there are gaps in the data of significance to arts organisations

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1.7. Opportunities

Arts and community organisations in the district can utilise this data for designing programs and activities targeting entrenched, longstanding issues.